I t may just be an ’80s cover band, but in this polarizing time and with elections on the horizon, it’s hard not to do a double take at its name: The Reagan Years.

The band, which formed way back in 1996 (actually, the Clinton years), is a frequent musical act at mid-Atlantic bars (especially in its home state of Maryland) and includes Michael Leigh, Karen Ellison, Jody Lewis, Glenn Riley and Sy Seyler.

At a Reagan Years show, you’ll hear anything from Van Halen’s “Panama” to Heart’s “Never” to The Cars’ “Let The Good Times to Roll” to just about any standard hit from 80s staples Bananarama, The Bangles, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Huey Lewis and the News, Eddie Money, The Outfield, Rick Springfield and Whitesnake.

We caught up with the band during a recent gig in Pasadena, Md., to see what effect, if any, the band’s name has on its members’ lives.

The members insist the group is nonpartisan and included Reagan in the name not only because, well, he was president during the time the songs they cover were hits but also because “we thought Reagan was one of those iconic figures of the 1980s,” as Seyler put it.

But when asked about the politics of their band’s name, bassist Lewis says, “We have a canned answer: It’s not about politics; it’s about music.”

Michael Leigh, the lead vocalist, recalls one uncomfortable moment when he was approached by someone who saw his Reagan Years T-shirt.

“I had a lady come up to me — this was during when the whole Iraq War broke out — came up to me and said, ‘The Reagan Years?!? What do you have to say about the Bush years?!?’ And I’m like, ‘Excuse me?’ She says, ‘Your T-shirt says ‘The Reagan Years!’ And I said, ‘Yeah, it’s the name of an ’80s tribute band.’ And she said, ‘Oh, OK. …’”

Staying above partisanship is also good business.

“We all have our different political views within the band,” said Leigh. “And it’s not about politics. We don’t make any political statements on stage. I personally feel that that has a tendency when people, both sides, when they do do that, it has a tendency to alienate people and we don’t want to do that.”

They acknowledge, however, that Republicans occasionally gravitate to the band because of the name: They were invited to perform at Reagan’s centennial birthday party earlier this year at the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington.

“It was sentimental for me,” said Seyler, “because we finally had an opportunity to give back to our namesake.”